


Plan For the Worst

by parttimefemmefatale (writingramblr)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Tron: Legacy (2010)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Tron/DW au, crazyness, inspired by a tumblr post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 00:31:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1139316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/parttimefemmefatale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Long ago, the Doctor ran across the Grid, a plane which held a digital world. Residents were known as programs. A virus, a stray weapon from the time war threatened to wipe them out, so he did was he does best, and saved them. He was heralded as a hero, and left them in peace.</p><p>Now he returns to find the Grid a changed place, where the manic and power greedy Saxon rules with an iron fist. His<br/>former partner Rinzler works beside him, brain washed into a mere pawn.</p><p>Can the Doctor find Rose-who has wandered off against his warnings- and keep himself and Jack safe in the meantime?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thirsty

**Author's Note:**

> (this story takes a ton of liberties, assumes the reader has seen Tron:Legacy, and at least a few episodes of Nine's season. hopefully you're a fan of Nine/Rose, or you should turn back now!)  
> ~Inspired by this tumblr post, so please blame it for anything you don't like, it's not got a set plot or anything heh:  
> http://doortotomorrow.tumblr.com/post/30985443862/doctor-who-tron-au-crossover ~
> 
> (rating will go up in later chapters...)

 

Rose Tyler woke up in the middle of the night, her throat dry from breathing through her mouth. Dry was too simple. Her throat felt like a desert.

Or was that simply her overactive imagination?

She sluggishly climbed out of her soft warm bed, and began to tiptoe down the halls. She didn’t want to risk waking the Doctor, or Jack. To wake both, would be worse.

If she could only find the kitchen. Though the TARDIS was a wonderful ship, she could sometimes have a mind of her own.

The floor beneath her feet wasn’t cool; surprisingly it was nearly as warm as her blankets had been.

Rose smiled, even now; the TARDIS was trying to help. She took a couple wrong turns, but managed to find the kitchen. She looked around the cupboards for a while before finding just the right sort of glass. It was very tall, slim, and had a diamond pattern etched into the glass. Holding water made it look like a strange aquarium.

She leaned against the counter and slowly sipped, letting the cool liquid sooth the dryness in her throat. The humming of the TARDIS could be felt through the marble against her back, and she let her eyes fall shut, letting herself be lulled into a half awake and half drowsing state.

Eventually she finished her water, and began to make her way back to her room. At least, she thought she had. When she stepped up to one door, and pushed it open, she frowned. She was in the console room. Not exactly her bedroom.

The glowing and blinking lights distracted her, and she moved closer to see what was visible on the display screens.

Dark and empty space looked back at her.

Rose frowned, why had the TARDIS directed her here?

“I’m too tired for games.” She mumbled aloud, beginning to worry about her own sanity. No amount of exhaustion was an excuse for talking to a ship which couldn’t exactly answer back.

The engines paused, and then came to a stop.

Rose knew that the Doctor had set them adrift, and they were supposed to be just coasting, but hearing the engines cease completely was a new turn of events.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she stepped towards the front doors of the ship, and tentatively pushed them open.

A bright light shone in her eyes, and before she could raise a hand to block it, she felt the floor disappear from under her feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a few Tron references and DW references throughout the story, but hopefully nothing too obscure. For the most part, consider the Grid to be just another Alien world, and there will not be any appearances of the Flynn's.


	2. Just an Average day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose wakes up in the grid, and the Doctor realizes what's happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please forgive the pov switches, that's just how it came out.

The Doctor woke up the instant he felt the shudder and purr of the engines stop. Something was wrong.

He leapt from his bed, barely pausing to pull on his leather jacket and shoes before racing to the console room.

“What’s going on?”

Jack Harkness’s familiar voice was in a strange tone. Not seductive, over confident, or in awe. He was reduced to utter normality. Fear coated the edge of his question, and the Doctor wasn’t sure how to answer.

“I’m not sure.”

Jack’s eyebrows rose, and the Doctor could hear the question before it was even voiced.

“You don’t know your own ship anymore?”

The Doctor’s hands froze on the levers he was manipulating,

“Where’s Rose?”

Jack shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated fashion,

“How should I know? We weren’t bunking together you know.”

The Doctor barely had the energy to spare him an angry look, as he felt his blood run cold. Colder than ever before.

He couldn’t feel her presence aboard the TARDIS, so she must have gone somewhere. Left him? Would she do that? He didn’t even know what was out there. Why had they stopped?

The TARDIS was being unusually silent on either matter, and it worried him.

***

Rose awoke with a start, and she could hear thunder rumbling in the distance.

She reached up to press a hand to her temples, and let out a deep breath,

“Oh my. What an incredible dream.”

The soft lighting of her bedroom illuminated the clock on the side of her bed. Though it was a confusing jumble of numbers, her mind processed it as around eight in the morning.

She frowned. Looking at it made her head ache.

When she moved to look out her window, she only saw a persistent darkness. Occasionally a lightning strike would light up the sky, and she could see a cluster of tall buildings in the distance, not too far from the one she occupied.

She was on the twenty-fourth floor.

How did she know that?

She’d only been living there about a month of course.

She nearly slapped herself for such ridiculous thoughts.

When she rose up out of her bed, she hardly noticed how the floor glowed with every step she took. That was a normal routine. It helped her watch where she was going.

A faint ringing began sounding, and she moved to the wall instinctively, reaching out to press a glowing knob.

“Good morning Rose. How are you feeling?”

A voice she knew well greeted her.

“Good morning Saxon. I’m well thank you.”

“That’s excellent. Please make your way downstairs as soon as you can. The rest of the sirens look forward to seeing you at the arena today.”

“On my way quick as I can.”

“Good.”

A gentle pulsing sounded, and the com-call ended.

Rose smiled dreamily, and walked towards her bathroom, ready to start another day.

***

“So where are we? Where did she go?”

Jack’s urgent voice at his ear was not helping his concentration.

The Doctor raised a hand sharply, and Jack fell silent. Blessed, blissful silence.

He cleared his throat and began to explain, and Jack didn’t dare interrupt.

“We’re on the edge of the entrance to the Grid. It’s a digital plane of existence. A world not unlike something found in your Earth computer’s. Except it’s alive. Every single resident of this plane is what you would call a program. They were a neutral party during the Time War, but still became affected. There was a virus, and it nearly wiped them out. I managed to confine it, and isolate it from the network, and destroy it. They called me a hero. They wanted me to stay, but obviously I couldn’t. Any outsiders can only be present in the plane for seven cycles, or seven days of our time. If you exceed that time, you become like them. A resident of the Grid. It might not sound so bad, but it means conforming to the system, and getting used to a 2-D life. At least, for me.”

Jack nodded, and posed the important question,

“Is that where Rose went?”

The Doctor nodded,

“Yes. I think she might have been exploring, and hearing the engines stop, assume it was safe to go outside. She was horribly wrong. We’ve got to go and try to find her, before we all run out of time. We can’t stay in this part of space, we risk corrupting their plane with the TARDIS’s technology… and vice versa.”

Jack straightened up, and rolled back his shoulders,

“Well then let’s go! If we haven’t got much time, then why are we sitting around here?”

The Doctor held up his hand again,

“You can’t just rush out there like that. We’ve got to blend in. Every citizen wears an identity disk, not something I can just use my psychic paper for. Obviously we can’t have real discs, but I can fashion some, and we can hide them. You under your coat, and mine under my jacket. But we need to wear all black, and it should be leather.”

Jack cracked a familiar cocky smirk,

“You want me in leather? Doc, I thought you’d never ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note:Everything 'normal' to Rose is all a part of her mind control.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: manly tears ahead.

The plan had been simple. Get in, get Rose, get out.

Things had rapidly gone pear shaped when they’d been spotted by a patrol.

Unfortunately the psychic paper had not worked. They weren’t your usual species. They saw things in a much different way.

The Doctor and Jack were informed they’d be taken to see their supreme leader and advisor, Saxon.

Jack had seen the worry that flashed over the Doctor’s face, and while they were being transported, he leaned across the barrier between their seats and whispered,

“Who’s this Saxon guy? Can he help us?”

The Doctor merely blinked before speaking,

“I once knew a man here named Saxon. But they didn’t refer to him as a ‘supreme leader,’ or anything. He and another program, Rinzler, had been governing the Grid, together. I met them after disposing of the virus. I was applauded as a hero by Saxon and Rinzler. I can’t understand what’s happened. Why things have changed. It’s as if they’ve gone from a democracy to the Roman Empire overnight.”

Jack raised his eyebrows, and tilted his head slightly towards the Doctor,

“But years have passed, surely. It’s not actually overnight.”

The Doctor’s expression became grim,

“I know. You’re right. Everything is infinitely more dangerous. Saxon won’t know who I am. Won’t know my face. He’ll distrust us. Might even have us killed. But only if we can’t convince him we’re not a threat.”

Jack’s eyes had gone wide at the suggestions the Doctor had mentioned, and still were as he finished.

“I’m a con man. I bet I can convince one crazy ruler I’m worth more alive than dead.”

The Doctor gave him a brief smile, and shrugged,

“Worth a shot.”

***

Rose watched the player before her and the other sirens as they marched into the games. She tried to feel something, more than satisfaction at helping just another well uniformed citizen leave for their death, but only the calm confidence soared in her heart. Nothing else could be found.

Her fellow sirens stepped backwards, and back into stasis, where they sat until the games ended for the day, and they could all return to the city.

When Rose’s shift ended, she liked to visit Zeus’s club. It was in the penthouse of the tallest skyscraper in the City. They served delicious light blue drinks that sparkled in the bright lights of the club and made the outside stormy night look a little less grim.

Sirens were given special discounts, by order of Zeus himself.

Rose had only seen him about his club; she’d never met him, and much less had the guts to approach him.

Like her, and one other siren, he had white blond hair, eyes as cloudy as the sky, and always a cheerful grin.

In another time and place, she might have fancied that she harbored a bit of a crush on him. But instead, on late nights, during particularly loud storms, after a couple glass of the light blue drink, she found herself wishing for a man with eyes like that. Light blue, warm with love, and a soft smile.

He always wore a worn leather jacket too. Not a shiny, cold and perfect suit like everyone else. Her own siren suit was pure white, with platform boots that she knew had taken her at least a week to master walking around in, and she wore her hair up in a tight bun. She relished lining her eyes in black liner every morning, as it made them pop right next to all the white she wore.

She loved being a siren.

But what she wanted, deep down, was to play in the games.

She knew her boss would never let her compete, but the exhilaration of riding a lightbike, or flying a lightjet always stayed on the forefront of her mind.

Maybe tomorrow, when she asked, he would say yes.

For now she was content to drink her ice cold beverage slowly, and watch the storm roll in.

***

The Doctor and Jack’s meeting with Saxon had not gone well.

They were currently pacing about a small cell they’d been placed in, to await their competition in the games.

Or the Games, as Saxon had said it.

The Doctor looked blank when Jack asked him what he meant by that.

“C’mon, you gotta give me something. A hint. Anything.”

The Doctor sighed, and his head fell into his hands,

“I’m sorry. I’ve brought you here. I let Rose come here. All of this leading up to our imminent demise.”

Jack sighed,

“Oh well that sounds cheerful. Care to elaborate?”

“The Games are Saxon’s method of keeping any rebellion dead. Keeping the repressed from gaining ground. Can’t you see? He’s turned Rinzler into his advisor, his right hand man. He’s not his partner anymore. He’s been brain washed, somehow. He doesn’t resist orders, he obeys without thought. This whole plane was saved from extinction only to become enslaved to one of their own. It’s all my fault!”

Jack knew protesting the Doctor wouldn’t actually do much good, so he could only sit by him and offer comfort.

He pulled the Doctor into his arms, and let the man weep silently against his shoulder. He couldn’t pretend he wished that they had at least found Rose before the Doctor had suffered his breakdown, but he knew she was a lot tougher than she seemed. There was every chance she was out there somewhere.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose walked down from the arena to the preparation room, and heard a peculiar noise.

The sirens were gossiping.

Before she could be insulted and offended they had not waited for her, she heard them all fall silent. She walked into the room and smiled brightly,

“What’s going on here?”

The closest siren, Gem, answered her,

“There are two outsiders competing today.”

Rose cocked a brow,

“So what?”

Gem blinked rapidly,

“We _never_ get outsiders. Not since the Time War.”

Rose blinked, and images flashed before her eyes, only for a split second did she see a face she thought she knew only from her dream. So she was simply recalling a dream. A dream where the man with the haunted eyes took her hand and told her to run! Where he grasped her hand tightly, and told her he was glad he’d met her.

She blinked again and her vision cleared, she saw Gem in front of her, and felt the echoes of the arena through the walls, like always.

“There’s a first time for everything.”

Gem nodded, still rather hesitant, but eventually ushered Rose and the other sirens to take their places.

The familiar chime sounded, and in the center of the room their upcoming gamer appeared.

Dark hair, tall, broad shoulders, and a handsome face.

Rose glanced over at Gem knowingly. The handsome ones always got her approval.

Gem stepped forward and began to remove his foreign outfit.

Jack only protested slightly when he noticed Rose out of the corner of his eye. Normally he would not have been alarmed at being undressed, surrounded by beautiful women, but this was no ordinary situation.

“Wait stop. There’s a zipper you know.”

He winked at the closest girl, and then looked back to Rose.

“Hey! Are you alright? The Doctor and I are both here. We’re going to try and get through this, and then we’ll find you. Be safe yeah?”

Rose blinked at him, looking confused.

Jack felt his heart sink, almost to his knees.

“Rose? Sweetheart? Don’t you know me?”

Gem smiled at him, and traced her hand back up his side, a feeling which although made him shiver, he tried to desperately ignore.

Rose kept looking at him blankly, and he dropped his gaze, and remained still for the duration of his wardrobe revamp.

He didn’t want to risk getting her in any more trouble if indeed she was in some. She didn’t recognize him, not even a bit. Something was horribly wrong with her.

He couldn’t deny how nice she looked, and she didn’t appear to be harmed in any way, so that comforted him in a small amount.

When the girls in white suits retreated from him, he looked down at himself to find he rather liked the change.

A fitting black body suit, made of a strange mix of leather and bits of metal armor, along with tracing lines of light following his limbs.

The faux identity disc on his back, (the concept of which had utterly failed him and the Doctor) had been replaced with a real one. It was like a metal version of a Frisbee. At least, that was the best frame of reference his mind could come up with.

“Thanks ladies.”

He winked at most of them, and only spared a sincere look at Rose before he was ushered out towards the stadium.

***

The Doctor had watched Jack go with heavy hearts. He knew Jack had seen a small amount of combat, and could likely survive a few rounds, but would he make it to the end of the games? From what Saxon had implied through gritted teeth, it was unlikely.

The Doctor, though he technically considered fighting a waste of his energy, knew he couldn’t exactly sit this one out. Talking had gotten him nowhere, and now he was going to war. Literally.

He would be faced with other like minded citizens, who only wanted to free the Grid from its oppressive rule, but instead were treated like mindless entertainment, and spent their last moments of life hearing the roar of a crowd in their ears. Whether it would be cheering him on, or calling for his defeat, the Doctor did not know.

He only knew that his ultimate goal was next to impossible.

When he felt the floor sinking beneath him, he had hoped it was merely his mind playing tricks on him, but no, it was taking him to his final stop before the arena.

The floor finally stilled under his feet, and he took a moment to look around. He was in a room that was a dark grey, and the walls appeared to be molded steel. Footsteps echoed around him, and he glanced sharply about to see a number of white suited women moving towards him.

They were all uniformly dressed, but that was not what made them so similar. Their hair, their makeup, even the way they moved practically screamed ‘mind control’ at him.

That was when he saw her.

The blond hair was slightly lighter and her eyes were heavily made up.

But there was no mistaking Rose Tyler among these sirens of death.

He felt the air leave his lungs with a gasp, and he inhaled again in a heart beats time to shout her name.

“ROSE! You’re alive! I thought you were dead!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliffhanger of DOOM.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cliffhanger resolution...ish

The second visiting gamer was strange. So very odd. Something about those ears made her want to laugh. Then her fingers itched with the urge to touch them.

Rose fisted her hands at her sides as she moved with her fellow sirens to step closer to him.

He wore a pair of black slacks and heavy looking boots. Her eyes appraised his figure and she noticed his black leather jacket was several shades lighter than his pants. It was much older. Her gaze moved steadily upward and then stopped.

Rose felt her heartbeat quicken.

Those eyes.

They had been haunting her dreams

They widened as they met hers, and she found she could not look away. She was caught, trapped, hypnotized in that stare.

She swallowed, and found her throat dry as the Sahara.

‘ _What was that?’_

She blinked, and her mind cleared, and her vision shifted, she looked away from the latest gamer, and Gem gave her a half smile.

She didn’t like this one’s look as much.

Rose didn’t want to argue, but she rather did. Even if he had a dangerous glare.

Before he even spoke, she’d gone and done it again. She’d looked at him.

She heard her name yelled from his lips, and then her eyes were trapped there. Those lips. They formed a thin line when he stopped speaking, but they looked utterly kissable. As if kissing him would quench her thirst, help soothe the dry ache in her throat.

Again she forced herself to focus, and began the task at hand. Preparing the Gamer.

She ignored the words he spoke to her, and only blinked when he brushed his hand across her shoulder as she worked.

She’d been touched before by frightened Gamers. But this time, he did not recoil at the bolt of electricity that shocked him.

He kept trying.

Fingers nearly undid her perfect hair as he gently touched her forehead, and then when she stood, he moved to capture her eyes with his endless blue ones, but she resisted.

He spoke again, and this time she listened.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Survive.”

***

She was not his Rose.

Well, she was.

But she’d been changed. _Rose_ had been removed, and an empty shell had taken her place. It was as if she was actually hollow. He’d touched her temple and tried to maintain connection long enough to read her thoughts, glimpse inside her mind, but he’d been met with the terrifying silence of a blank wall. A virtual dead end.

The sharp bolts of electricity had not harmed him. Not when Rose’s life was on the line. He could not care. He might have even blacked out momentarily from the shock, but it didn’t matter.

He knew at least Rose had to be safe. She was not there, not really. His fists clenched when he realized what had to have happened.

She’d been brain washed, or mind wiped, just like Rinzler.

Saxon was ultimately in control.

He had her consciousness, her essence somewhere.

But when she finally responded to him, he was stunned to hear what she said.

_“Survive.”_

Gladly. He’d almost answered back. He would endure. He would make it through whatever Saxon cared to through at him.

He had to find Rose. He had sworn to protect her, and he would.

***

Jack fell to ground, the wind knocked completely out of his chest. He’d not been prepared when the Games had begun, and as such, he’d had to act much more quickly than was wise.

The next time his opponent’s disc flew at him, he managed a much more graceful dodge, and tossed his own disc back, attempting to at least provide some defense.

Eventually, with a bit of usual Harkness luck, Jack defeated his opponent, by cleverly smashing the floor beneath them as they attempted to drop kick him.

He stood up, hoping to be let loose for winning, but the arena he stood in only shifted, until he was facing a new opponent.

Over the roar of the crowd, he could hear his assigned number and name being called out, and his opponent was announced.

His eyes widened in horror as he turned to face the Doctor.

They would be made to fight each other to the death?

Not if he had anything to say about it.

He stood still, defiant. He refused to throw his disc.

The Doctor shouted to him from across the divide in the arena, and Jack only caught one word,

“Duck!”

Jack dropped to the ground again, this time landing carefully so he could easily get up again, and he watched as the Doctor threw his disc with precision at the wall behind Jack.

When the disc rebounded, the Doctor smashed it at the floor, before leaping down.

On the lower level, he sped across the arena and then motioned for Jack to follow.

Jack glanced behind him and saw the arena was spinning, and if he timed it just right, he could easily jump down to where the Doctor waited through his new hole in the wall.

They reached the lowest level, back below the arena, and began to run. They knew that there was only a small window before they would be pursued.

The Doctor half hoped they might meet Rose on their way out of the Game arena, but they never saw her.

Once they reached the city of the Grid, they could breathe a sigh of relief. Against all odds, they’d done it.

 

Being unpredictable had meant their survival, and even as they were prepared to high five each other’s success, or hug, which Jack would have preferred, they knew they weren’t out of danger yet.

They still needed to get Rose.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked the idea of bringing Kevin's BA longcoat into the story somehow...so Rose has it ;)

Gem was being insistent. Rose knew better than to argue with her friend.

“I don’t think it’s really my style though.” Rose fussed about and twisted around to get a glimpse of herself in the long mirror inside her room.

Gem had practically forced her to try out a new suit. This time, it wasn’t her usual white siren look. It was a dark grey leather, that was so tight it looked brushed on. It also ended just above her knee, so it was more a dress than a suit.

Utterly devastating, Gem had proclaimed.

 There were still lights flowing down the side, and also across the neck. It gave the illusion of a light necklace, and the sleeves ended with a half glove that slipped over her thumb and forefinger.

All in all, it was a daring look, and Rose was fighting the urge to admit she liked it.

“I told you so.”

Gem muttered and nudged her, bumping their hips together as she messed with Rose’s messy braid.

She’d pulled it down from her tight bun, and nearly sighed with relief at the feeling. She hated wearing her hair up all the time, but otherwise it tended to get in the way. Now that she was finally off work again, she relished wearing it down.

“We look fantastic.”

Rose started a bit from her distracted thoughts.

Her smile froze in place, and she nodded.

“Yeah. Fantastic.”

Why did that word bother her so much? It was just another adjective. But for some reason, it made her think of a kind smile, and those haunted blue eyes.

She shook herself, and Gem, thinking she was just cold, pushed over a long overcoat, with lit stripes inside the seam.

“Let’s go. Zeus will wonder where his regulars are hiding.”

***

Jack strode confidently into the club, ignoring the loud thudding bass and the bright flashing lights, an extreme contrast from outside, where storms and darkness reigned.

This was his element. Bars were his usual haunt.

He charmed the bartender and ordered the Doctor a drink, and with another smile, got his for free.

The Doctor was slightly more cautious, and walked slowly alongside Jack, eventually pausing to scan the room as they waited for their drinks.

It was nearly impossible to be recognized here, it was much too crowded.

Glowing lights indicated a second level, and he nudged Jack, pointing across the room.

“What do you think is up there?”

Jack licked his lips,

“I don’t know. But I could find out.” Another cocky grin and a few choice words had the bartender practically as mush in his hands.

He took a long sip from his glass, and winced. What looked rather like blue soda tasted much more like battery acid.

“He says it’s the VIP room, where the Sirens usually congregate with the owner. He’s related to one, or some of them.”

The Doctor nodded,

“Ah. Shame I haven’t got my psychic paper to let us up there.”

Jack put his hand on the Doctor’s arm,

“Leave it to me. I’ve got a brand new friend, who’s eager to impress me.”

He whispered the last bit, and the Doctor fought back a grin. The first in nearly two days.

This hadn’t been the most fun of adventures. He was praying desperately to whatever deity cared to listen that Rose was close by.

The sirens were upstairs, how fitting.

***


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> parting of the ways reference in this chapter...  
> *evil laugh*

Rose twirled around on her stool, staring lazily out at the storm, and wondering to herself if she’d ever seen the sky clear, or even seen the sun on a cloudy day.

Why did the Grid have to seem so gloomy?

It was a strange thought to have about her home world. She’d never realized just how bored she’d been growing with it all. Perhaps part of it stemmed from her loneliness.

As she sat and cursed the blue-eyed man from her dreams, she heard Gem whisper something.

She giggled, and leaned closer to her friend,

“What was that?”

“I said, they’re here. Your friend from the games. He must have won. And look, he’s got his handsome friend.”

Rose spun around so fast she nearly spilled her drink.

Her mouth fell open at the sight of him, striding up the stairs with his head held high, and his eyes alert.

“Oh my.”

She uncrossed her legs, unconsciously dropping her feet to the floor and walking over to him.

Before he could blink, she had stopped in front of him, and he’d hastily put the brakes on, lest he barrel her over.

She felt him give her a once over, and she almost blushed. If she hadn’t been so surprised, she might have been flattered.

“How did you do it?”

Her voice was hushed, and she coughed before she realized her mouth had gone dry.

She was about to repeat the question, when he looked at her, slightly out of focus, as if she was a blurry picture. He frowned,

“I did only what you told me.”

Rose bit her bottom lip, fighting a smile.

“Now, don’t be silly. I give everyone the same bit of advice when they ask a stupid question.”

The man’s left eyebrow rose up and his gaze intensified.

“You’re calling me stupid now? Best be careful about throwing that word around.”

Rose blinked in shock, and she had raised her hand in an instant, palm poised to slap the man for his arrogance.

To her utter surprise, he reached over and touched her hand, pulling it down and entwining their fingers.

“Let me buy you a drink, and I’ll you how I sang a song, and my opponent fell to the ground.”

***

The Doctor was beyond tense, he felt if he accidentally bumped into a wall he might shatter. When he caught a glimpse of Rose sitting at the VIP bar, he nearly had a heart attack, twice.

She was wearing an outfit that echoed his usual look, and wore a long dark coat with edges that glowed gently against her bare skin. There was rather a lot of it. Her arms were bare from her neck all the way to just above her elbow. Pewter colored gloves covered the rest of her up to her hands, and the dark material of her suit stopped at mid-thigh. She was wearing what appeared to be a mini dress, and he could only thank whatever deity was listening now that she hadn’t been wearing that in the arena.

She looked much more relaxed, and it wasn’t simply her outfit, or her longer hairstyle.

But when she turned to see him, he almost stopped moving. She all but slide out of her seat and walked right up to him.

She didn’t remember him did she?

When she stepped right into his path, he halted and delayed speaking just a moment more to drink in her appearance in full.

She may or may not have noticed, but he hardly cared.

When he finally met her gaze, he was wounded to find it was still not his Rose. She knew him yes, but only as the Gamer he’d been.

She wanted to know how he managed to survive, as she’d told him to, and he found himself bantering right back at her, and insisting on getting her another drink.

When he’d grasped her hand, he’d not done it out of self preservation. If she’d slapped him, he wouldn’t have felt it. He’d known Rose to have wanted to hit him on more than one occasion, and he couldn’t say he didn’t deserve it.

He laced his fingers with hers, and was delighted when she didn’t pull away. Maybe it was wrong to take advantage of her like this, but he had to find out if there was a way to trigger her recall, or if her true self was completely gone from her body. He was suddenly unsure that her mind was truly blank. Maybe that wall had been a fortress. Not simply a dead end.

***

Rose was having a decent time, conversing with this stranger, when she realized she ought to know his name.

“What should I call you, champion of the Grid?”

She asked him with a small smile, and he could obviously tell she was attempting to flirt. She didn’t know why, but something about him fascinated her. It wasn’t just his strong resemblance to her man of her day dreams, that was only part of it.

“You can call me the Doctor.”

Rose tilted her head, looking at him again like she had in the under arena, appraisingly.

“Okay. So who’s your partner? My friend seems to like him.”

Rose nodded to where the handsome man sat, chatting with Gem, who looked rather enchanted.

The Doctor almost smiled,

“That’s Jack. He’s not exactly my partner, more like a temporary acquaintance.”

Rose laughed,

“Whatever that means. Alright. So tell me, where do you come from? You are not of the Grid, am I right?”

The Doctor’s expression sobered, and he glanced around the VIP room again, as if to assure himself of something,

“You’re right, I’m not from here. I’d tell you a secret, but I don’t know if you can keep it.”

Rose felt rather insulted. She brought her hand to her chest, and crossed over her heart,

“I’m excellent with secrets. I swear.”

The Doctor leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and Rose matched his movement, until their faces were millimeters apart,

“I’m from another world. And so are you.”

Before Rose could think, could process what he had said, his hand had reached up to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing over her skin, and her eyes had flickered shut.

The Doctor took a chance, and the gap between them vanished in a split second as he kissed her.

His lips met hers in a tender move, pressing none too hard, but just enough to make her notice. She sighed and her lips parted, and he pulled back, looking intensely into her still half lidded eyes.

“Rose. It’s me. Try to remember.”

When he’d lifted his hand to her temple, he had tried to make a connection again, and this time, his mind had been met with a virtual assault, and he’d managed no further progress.

Something was holding her back, and keeping him out. Rose could still be in there, somewhere. Lost, alone, and probably frightened out of her wits. He’d been desperate, and kissed her, hoping it would restore her. It hadn’t worked. He could see it in her face. But this Rose seemed to like it.

“That was…ah nice. I haven’t even finished my drink yet. Thanks.”

Rose smiled lazily at the Doctor, and he only met it with a lopsided grin.

“Of course. You’re welcome.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> avengers reference...along with a tron reference...d'accord

The lights suddenly dimmed in the club, and Jack, who was only slightly as distracted as the Doctor, heard heavy footsteps and loud voices over the noise of the patrons.

He looked over to where the Doctor sat, his entire gaze focused on Rose, and his hands appearing to be restraining themselves from touching her.

“Poor guy.”

He muttered, and Gem startled beside him, but before he could explain, or even attempt an excuse, the doors to the VIP suite were blasted open.

Shattered glass sprayed across the floor, and the Doctor was on his feet, stepping swiftly in front of Rose before Jack could even blink.

It was Rinzler.

He was flanked by two other men and Jack jumped away from Gem, moving to stand with Rose and the Doctor.

Rose, naturally, had no idea what was happening, and was seconds from voicing an opinion, when Rinzler caught sight of her.

“What are you doing here?”

His voice was altered, whether digitally or from his mind control, but something in his tone suggested doubt.

If Rose was with these men, could they be that dangerous?

His orders were imprinted into his mind, and they were screaming at him to shoot the men and be done with it, but when Rose got out of her chair and moved to stand with the Doctor, he became confused.

“What are you doing?” he asked again, and his finger twitched on the trigger of his gun, which he’d drawn without a conscious thought.

“I could ask you the same thing.” The Doctor interjected pointedly, and Rinzler merely growled in his direction.

He raised his hands, and Rose spoke up,

“These men have done nothing wrong. Why are you here, disturbing this place of business?”

Jack scoffed quietly to himself, having never heard a club described in such vague terms.

Rinzler held his gun steady, aimed right at the Doctor,

“These men are anomalies. They fled the arena, and must be eliminated.”

The Doctor winced as he heard them condemned in such a manner.

Surely Rose would now step aside, and let them be taken into custody.

She surprised him yet again.

“I don’t care. You have no right to kill unarmed men who’ve done no wrong. They did their time in the games, so what if they decided to not play by your rules.”

Rose wasn’t sure what was making her act so careless, but when she felt the Doctor grasp her hand in his, she found she didn’t care.

“Very well. Then you will join them.”

Rinzler aimed his gun at her, and fired.

***

Jack leapt into action, and didn’t even think about himself in that moment, fueled entirely by adrenaline.

He reached over, since Rinzler had been standing so close, and wrenched his gun from his hands, as the man was still slightly in shock from shooting the last person he’d expected, and decimated his two companions.

Rinzler stood there, frozen, unable to comprehend what had happened.

His orders had not been to harm Rose.

Saxon would kill him for that.

As he looked at the one man, Jack, standing there with his former weapon, he could only wish for a quick death.

The Doctor had caught Rose before she hit the ground, and was pleading for her to keep her eyes open.

“On me. Look at me. Don’t think about anything else.”

Rose’s eyelids fluttered open, and she tried to smile,

“I wanted you safe. My Doctor.”

She felt like ice in his hands, and he could feel himself beginning to shake. From anger, from worry, from knowing that if she died here, on this alien world, in this plane it would be entirely his fault.

She wasn’t even herself and she was still trying to save him at any turn.

“I am safe. Thanks to you. Now you just hold on.”

She nodded slightly, and then her eyes closed, and she went limp against him.

He refused to believe anything besides her body going into a healing coma was occurring.

***

When the Doctor stood from her side, he turned his white hot fury onto Rinzler, who still stood immobile, watching the entire scene.

He snatched the gun from Jack’s hands and turned to bash Rinzler in the head.

He crumpled to the floor, and didn’t make a sound. Jack was astonished, to say the least. He’d never seen the Doctor so violent.

“What was that for?”

Jack asked indignantly, without thought.

“Cognitive recalibration. Or it’ll kill him.”

The Doctor spoke in a monotone, sounding just like Rinzler had, under his mind control.

It was from lack of caring that made him do it. He had nothing left to lose. It either worked, or it didn’t. He had already failed in his ultimate goal. The least he could do now was ensure they all returned to the TARDIS before being trapped in this plane.

After a few tense moments, Rinzler began to stir on the ground.

The Doctor shot a knowing glance at Jack, who pretended not to see it.

“Do you know where you are?”

Rinzler nodded, wincing slightly as he brought a hand to his temples,

“You pack a hell of a punch Doctor.”

“It seemed necessary at the time. Tell me, can you help us get out of here? Without your buddy finding out?”

Rinzler slowly stood, and leaned against a chair for support,

“You mean Saxon? Sure. By now he either considers us all dead, or at least you and me. I didn’t report to him on the cycle like I always do. That means I’m dead.”

“And your mind? It’s yours again?”

The Doctor wanted to make certain he was not on the verge of trusting an enemy, but Rinzler nodded,

“Yep. Thank you again Doctor. When will we be able to stop owing you?”

The Doctor smiled tightly,

“When I’m dead.”


	9. Chapter 9

Rinzler was able to guide Jack, the Doctor, and Rose, whom Jack was carrying, to the rooftop, where his glider was parked.

It looked like an ordinary plane, but when Rinzler let them all inside, and took the controls, it expanded into a ship three times its size, and the Doctor almost looked impressed.

If he hadn’t been worried sick about Rose, he might not have been so antsy.

“Hurry up. We need to get to the TARDIS before the window closes.”

Rinzler growled in annoyance,

“You think I’m an idiot? I know that. She’s flying as fast as she can.”

Jack remained silent in the back, clutching Rose in his arms, clinging to the hope that he could feel a pulse beneath his hands, and it wasn’t simply the vibration of wind against the plane.

When they finally left the dim lights of the city behind, the Doctor could almost hear the TARDIS calling to him. Even though the sound was faint, he was able to direct Rinzler to the location.

They touched down and even before Rinzler cut the engines, the Doctor was halfway out of the glider, sprinting towards the TARDIS. His key had begun to burn against his chest, and he knew that was a warning. The only sort she could give him.

They needed to leave soon, or they’d never be able to.

***

Jack carefully brought Rose out of the glider with him, and just as Rinzler was preparing to wish them all a fond farewell, he heard a familiar sound. It was one he dreaded.

The sound of another glider’s engines.

Saxon had found them.

Rinzler drew his staff, which extended in his hands much like a samurai blade, and motioned for the Doctor to go. He would hold off his old friend to buy them time.

“Don’t be foolish, he’ll kill you!” Jack yelled, and Rinzler shrugged,

“Perhaps I deserve it.”

The Doctor didn’t argue, for once.

Saxon approached them all with a triumphant grin, and his own drawn blade,

“Going somewhere? You just got here!”

The Doctor sneered at him,

“As if I’d stay in this place of misery. Look what you’ve done to the Grid! To your world. You’ve taken a race of people who had such potential and turned them into your slaves. Entertainment and mindless followers. You’re not the man I once knew, once helped. I’m sorry I did. I should have let nature take its course, and that virus would have stopped this. I wouldn’t be here now, I wouldn’t have lost someone precious to me.”

Jack stiffened beside him, and the Doctor wasn’t about to amend his statement.

Jack knew that it meant he thought she was dead. Complete certainty was not something Jack usually feared, but this time, he dreaded it.

Saxon merely stood there, drinking in the Doctor’s words, and they seemed to hardly affect him.

“If that is what you think, I’m sorry I let you leave that time. But I am glad for the power that I have. I will not let you escape this time. Rinzler, get out of my way.”

Rinzler straightened up, and squared his shoulders,

“No sir. I will not.”

Saxon grinned menacingly, and leapt forward, moving to attack his old friend.

***

The Doctor and Jack retreated to the TARDIS, moving as quickly as they could.

The sounds of blades clashing and a battle of more than two men being fought could be heard.

When they turned to see what the outcome was, they were met with a tragic sight.

Rinzler was clutching his chest, blood spilling forth onto his outstretched palm, but behind him, Saxon lay dead on the ground.

“I can only hope that our deaths will bring back the peace that once ruled this plane. Doctor, tell others of what was lost here. Ensure no other race ever has to suffer this.”

With that, he fell to his knees, before collapsing to the ground, and his body went still.

Jack swallowed heavily, and turned to the Doctor,

“Remind me to have you drop me on earth at your soonest convenience.”

The Doctor would have smiled, or replied with something witty, but he could only hear the faint beating of his hearts.

If Rose was gone, what reason did he have to go back to earth?

Thinking about it was too painful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i skipped over most of the combat, and i apologize, but writing that sort of thing is not my forte.


	10. Chapter 10

With the TARDIS engines going strong, and the destination set, 21st century England, the Doctor attempted to relax against the console.

Jack had retreated to his room, in order to give him some privacy, and for that he was grateful. The Doctor moved to kneel beside Rose, who lay unmoving on the small couch Jack had set her on.

Her chest rose and fell almost imperceptivily. But how he feared any attempt to wake her. He reached out, placing a hand on either side of her head, and let his eyes fall shut, looking with his mind, desperately trying to find her in there, any sign of life.

He could see a faint illumination of the same wall, the former fortress, but it had a large crack in it, and when he moved to touch it, with a gentle probe, the wall shattered.

He could see a light, a golden sunbeam glowing in the distance. He moved closer, and he realized it was Rose’s hair, spilled out around her head, and she was lying on the ground.

In this strange place in her mind, she was just like the real live version.

Except here she wore her usually pink jumper, worn blue jeans, and no shoes. He moved to reach out and touch her arm, and he felt a flutter of a heartbeat there.

Even near death, she was still fighting.

The Doctor let go of her temples, and sat back, thinking fast.

He could try to sonic her wound, now that the TARDIS had restored it to him, it was his last hope.

He pulled it from where he’d left it on the console, and switched it on, directing the blue light to the side of her stomach, where the bullet had entered.

The soft whirring of the screwdriver indicated it was working, and though he couldn’t see it, Rose’s skin was rapidly healing, and the bullet was pushed out, until it completely left the wound, falling from her side to hit the grating, and then became lost, falling through a crack.

The Doctor becoming light headed, he hadn’t realized he was holding his breath, and he carefully exhaled when he heard Rose begin to breathe easier.

It had worked!

He brushed a hand over her stomach, and was met with only smooth skin through the hole in her suit.

He looked up to her face, and almost wept as her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled faintly at him.

“Hello.”

“Rose Tyler. How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been shot.”

He chuckled, and was amazed to find how easy it was to laugh now that she was out of danger.

“Quite right. You were. In fact, I would show you the bullet, but I seem to have misplaced it.”

Rose gave him another smile,

“It’s alright. I believe you. But I gotta ask, next time we go somewhere, promise you’ll go first.”

The Doctor nodded, before grinning, all tension forgotten for the moment, as Rose was smiling at him and perfectly alive,

“Next time, don’t you go running off while we’re sleeping.”

“Okay. Where are we going now?”

“Home. For you. I thought you could use a break.”

Rose nodded sleepily,

“You’re right. Tell me something though, while I was like, being ordered around, like some robot, I didn’t say or do anything too stupid did I?”

The Doctor stared at her, his memory of the kiss in the club surfacing, before he pushed it down, shaking his head,

“Nope. Not a thing. You did manage to look quite fantastic in white leather though. Never would have pegged that as your style.”

Rose giggled,

“I guess you’re just a bad influence.”

She plucked a finger at his leather jacket and he couldn’t resist grabbing her hand, gently lifting her to her feet, and though she stumbled a bit, he easily caught her.

“Let’s get you back to your room yeah?”

“Sounds like an excellent plan to me.”

Rose mumbled, exhaustion already overtaking her.

It had been a dangerous and eventful trip, and all the Doctor could think was, could he dare to put their lives at risk again?

It wasn’t exactly up to him though; he knew that, deep down.

Next time he would plan for the worst, using the Grid as his starting line.

***

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter for the story, but there will be an optional fluffy/hurt/comfort smut ficlet posted on Valentine's day!


End file.
